![]() But, that adventure led to his life-long love for the majestic low-elevation forest and the crystal-clear creek that met Battle Ax Creek in the mining camp and became the Little North Fork Santiam River, an Oregon Wild and Scenic River – so designated by George’s Uncle, Oregon Governor Vic Atiyeh. It was run by family members.Īs he tells it, when he was eight, he hiked up Opal Creek by himself and returned to late to dinner and was sent to bed hungry. As I write this no contact has been made since that fateful day.Ītiyeh grew up Summers at Jawbone Flats, an old mountain mining camp in the Willamette National Forest. 8 th Wildfire that roared down Opal Creek, burning down the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Education Center at Jawbone Flats, the old mining camp that he and pals restored starting the 1970s. "Oregon Wildfires: How the tiny Beachie Creek Fire blew up and ravaged the Santiam Canyon". Hatfield Recounts Final Negotiation to Protect Opal Creek (Speech). Showdown at Opal Creek: The Battle for America's Last Wilderness. ^ "Opal Creek Wilderness: Overview/Background".^ "Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area".Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. National Wilderness Preservation System Map (Map). As of September 2020, the severity of the damage within the wilderness is unknown. The Opal Creek Wilderness is within the burn zone of the Beachie Creek Fire that began approximately two miles south of Jawbone Flats on August 16, 2020, one of several major wildfires on the West Coast that summer. įinally, in 1996, after working with all stakeholders, including environmental groups, local communities and representatives of the timber industry, to draft consensus legislation, United States Senator Mark Hatfield obtained passage of expansive legislation to protect Opal Creek. When books and photo essays were published in the early 1990s, national attention was brought to the area. Lawsuits were filed, Wild and Scenic Rivers were designated, and multiple bills to protect the area failed, including an attempt to make it a state park. In 1980, the District Ranger of the Detroit Ranger District, Dave Alexander, vowed to "cut Opal Creek." By late 1981, clearcut boundary markers were placed. The wilderness was designated on September 30, 1996, after a nearly 20-year battle to protect the area from logging and mining. Understory vegetation includes huckleberry, vine maple and rhododendron. Common hardwoods include bigleaf maple and red alder. The most abundant trees are Douglas fir, Pacific silver fir, and western hemlock. ![]() The valley forms the largest intact stand of old-growth forest in the western Cascades, and 500- to 1000-year-old trees are common. Eight hiking trails, remnants of the early day prospecting and fire access routes, total 36 miles (58 km). The Opal Creek Valley contains 50 waterfalls and five lakes. In addition, the 36,870-acre (14,920 ha) Bull of the Woods Wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest shares its southern boundary with the Opal Creek Wilderness. The 20,746-acre (8,396 ha) Opal Creek Wilderness is adjacent to a designated "scenic recreation area" of 13,538 acres (5,479 ha), creating a nearly 35,000-acre (14,000 ha) protected area.
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